Monday, December 20, 2010

Happy Holidays

by Meg Corey (from Sheila Connolly's Orchard Mystery Series)

What a year it's been! This will be my first Christmas in my new home. My apple crop is sold, and there's nothing I need to do in the orchard until pruning begins. Well, there's always something that needs to be done in an orchard, but there's no reason I have to do it right this minute.

After working so hard this year, it's hard to slow down. Even when I try to sit down and read a book or watch a movie, I keep jumping up and trying to clean something. Being inside by daylight shows me all the cobwebs and scuffs and dings, and then I feel guilty—even though my mother kindly avoided mentioning them when she was here last month.

The best—or worst—part was that snowstorm that hit us. All right, a blizzard—that's what the weather reporters kept calling it, at least until the power went out and we couldn't hear anything at all. Yes, I said "we": I talked Seth into a sleep-over. He offered to let me stay at his house until the power came back, but I wanted to be in my own place. The house has survived two-plus centuries of hard New England weather, and I figured, so could I. He generously volunteered to keep me company. At least he got my antiquated fireplace working, and he even scrounged some firewood, so we were cozy.

Of course I put him to work. It's an old house, and there's always something that's falling apart, so we started with inventorying the stuff that twenty years' of tenants left behind and deciding which renovation projects should be tackled first. Did I mention that Seth's a really good sport? He doesn't whine, and if anything needs fixing, he's the go-to guy. And if he can't fix it, he knows someone who can, who will show up an hour after Seth calls and get things done. I could definitely get used to having Seth around.

We made some interesting discoveries while we were snowbound. I won't tell you about them just yet, but now I know more about the history of my house and the people who lived in it than I did when we started. They're becoming my invisible family, and I think they're glad I'm here, keeping the house alive.

We'll have a quiet Christmas. I'll probably get together with Seth's family, which is nice. And right now I have to end this, because Seth and I are going out to my woodlot to cut down a fresh Christmas tree.

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